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VANCOUVER — In the regular meeting on March 19, Clark Public Utilities Commissioners approved allocation of $10 million in 2018 surplus funds to customers in the form of a bill credit.

“It’s been a very long and cold winter so customer bills this month may be higher than is normal for spring,” said Commissioner Nancy Barnes, Clark Public Utilities board president. “We’re fortunate to be in a position to credit back surplus revenue to customers to help offset higher heating costs from the extended stretches of freezing temperatures. As a customer-owned utility, we’re giving customers back their share of the 2018 surplus.”

Eligible Clark Public Utilities customers will see a credit on the April bill equal to about 27 percent of the average January and February usage. EqualPay and Guarantee of Service Program customers will see the credit applied to the account balance.

As a customer-owned utility, Clark Public Utilities is nonprofit and operates in the customers’ best interests to ensure reliability, increase affordability and maintain excellent customer service. Staff manages a variety of variables impacting operating costs including the amount of hydropower generated by the Federal hydro system, prices for energy purchased from the power market, the cost of natural gas and fluctuations in weather.

The annual budget is based on conservative estimates of all operational variables to keep rates stable and predictable. Rates haven’t changed since 2011.

Customers who would like to donate the credit amount to Operation Warm Heart, the utility’s donor-funded assistance program to help families in financial crisis pay heating bills, can call customer service at (360) 992-3000 any time after the credit has posted, or use the online donation form (https://myaccount.clarkpublicutilities.com/owh).

Clark Public Utilities is a customer-owned public utility providing electric service to nearly 200,000 customers throughout Clark County and water service to more than 35,000.